South Florida's art walks: A chance to see, stroll and sip

They combine sights, sounds, socializing and strolling, not to mention the free wine and cheese.

Welcome to South Florida's art walks, where galleries and studios invite the public in for a peek, a chat, and a chance to meet artists. Their popularity has mushroomed in recent years. Fort Lauderdale has three, Hollywood, Delray Beach, Wilton Manors and Pompano Beach are in on the monthly trend and Boynton Beach is looking to launch a second one come January.

Several are held the third week of the month, so step on out, sip some wine, nibble some cheese and art gaze.

We made the rounds, and this is what art lovers, artists, gallery owners and everyday people had to say about what they get out of art walks.

An interesting crowd

"There's something to satisfy all the senses. I listened to beautiful music, I ate delicious food, I saw magnificent art and lovely women," John Fraebel, of Fort Lauderdale, said in November during his first visit to Art Walk Las Olas. "I'm going to make an effort to come more often. I found tonight a more interesting crowd than a Friday-night go-out-to-dinner-and-a-drink crowd."

An eclectic environment

To create "a festive environment," the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency hires musicians to play near galleries and encourages participants to inject energy into the evening with poetry, painters, papier mache demonstrations or even an exercise class.

"We like to keep it a little off the beaten track, to keep it more cultural and less mainstream," said Lisa Liotta, the CRA's economic development manager. "It's not everywhere you can go to see a harpist, or even a steel-pan drummer."

A social connection

Although art walks have generated "a lot of buzz lately," oil painter and gallery owner Ora Sorensen says for 20 years now she's been reaping the benefits as a participant in the Delray Beach Art Walk.

"It's very social. The people who come into my gallery, it's not just about the art, they come in to talk and to have a glass of wine," Sorensen said. "The connection with the public is very uplifting and enjoyable and I guess that's why after 20 years I'm still doing it."

Art, demystified

Mary Ellen Charapko, owner of Ellen Charapko Gallery and organizer of Island City Art Walk in Wilton Manors, says it's all about opening doors, creating an inviting atmosphere and demystifying all that is art.

"It's intimidating," Charapko said. "But you know what? It's to enjoy. You know what you like and you know what you don't like. You have to start somewhere."

A creative vibe

Joy Staelens pitched a table on a Harrison Street sidewalk, broke out her paints and let her creative juices flow at last month's Hollywood art walk.

For this multimedia artist, who specializes in recycled art – translation: "anything I find on the side of the road becomes art work" -- an art walk is a way to "keep the vibe going and bring the love of art work to Hollywood."

A walking green billboard

The spastic guy who dances around the Las Olas Art Walk in a hooded green Lycra body suit is Green Mann aka Mike Buonaiuto. He fancies himself "a walking billboard."

"As you can tell, I have ad space all over the suit just like NASCAR," he said. "I'm better than the sign twirlers, because they're stuck on a corner while I'm dancing circles around them."

Interesting conversation

Part of the fun, while you're taking in the gicleé prints, layered textured acrylics and bronze mineral reliefs, just might be the memorable snippets of art talk you'll overhear.

"It's very much alive in here."

"They're very zen and very Asian influenced."

"It's such a beautiful piece. It's action. It's movement."

Instant feedback

Painter Joëlle Blouin of Quebec City, is Bellagio International Gallery's featured artist for December's Las Olas Art Walk. She paints with a pallette knife creating textured city scenes and defines her style as "urban abstract cubist."

"I try to convey the energy of the city and the soul," Blouin said through her fiance, Greg Regan. "It's great to have a face on some of the buyers or the people who like my style…to know what the people like about my work."

"It opens a language with the artists, the viewers and the collectors," Rioux said. "Art galleries are a great space for people to get together and socialize and enjoy what artists have to say. It's all connecting people together and that's what an art walk's all about."

Being part of what's going on

The Wilton Manors approach to its art walk merges business, culture and community. Regular businesses, from real estate offices to antique stores, open up their doors, extend their hours and host an artist for the evening.